Vermont Business Magazine What do four hundred electricians, more than two thousand nurses, and nearly five hundred software developers have in common? According to a newly updated brochure from the J Warren & Lois McClure Foundation and the Vermont Department of Labor, these are some of the most promising jobs expected in Vermont over the next 10 years. Wages run from low-40s to over $100,000 a year. As this data makes clear, high-pay, high-demand jobs do exist in the Green Mountain State. However, they largely require training and/or education beyond high school.
The latest Department of Labor data is used to highlight 54 of over 100 of these promising jobs along with their median wages, number of projected job openings, and minimum education requirements. Each is expected to pay at least $20/hour and have at least 100 openings over the next decade. The accompanying online resource, www.mcclurevt.org/pathways, lists the Vermont-based training and education programs that will put students and jobseekers on the right path. For a limited time, the McClure Foundation is offering grants to organizations and others that are working to connect Vermonters with these training and education pathways.
The jobs list, called Pathways to Promising Careers, reinforces national research that promising job opportunities grow with postsecondary education and training. Only two of the 54 jobs identified by Pathways can be filled with a high school degree and no additional training or education. The majority require at least a two-year Associate’s Degree. Yet statistics show only 60% of Vermont’s high school graduates enroll in college within 16 months of graduation.
“We envision a Vermont in which no promising job goes unfilled for lack of a qualified applicant,” explains McClure Foundation Philanthropic Advisor Carolyn Weir. “That’s why we’re thrilled to know that information about these jobs is helping students choose career pathways and helping adults build their credentials or switch career tracks.”
55,000 brochures featuring the high-pay, high-demand jobs are being distributed to high schools, colleges, state agencies, counseling organizations, and nonprofits across the state. They will reach students and jobseekers just as state partners announce a new goal that 70% of Vermont’s working-age adults possess a postsecondary degree or credential of value by 2025.
“This is a pivotal time to align Vermont’s workforce skills with employer needs. There are tremendous employment opportunities right here in Vermont for people of all interests and backgrounds. The goal of our work is to promote the skills in demand and dispel some of the myths about our local economy,” says Mathew Barewicz, Economic and Labor Market Information Chief at the Vermont Department of Labor.
The McClure Foundation and the Vermont Department of Labor hope the data will also help colleges, legislators, employers, and career counseling organizations inform programming and strategy.
JOBS
I like working with my hands or with machines to make, fix, or build things.
| Career | 10-Year Projected Openings | Minimum Education Needed for Entry | Median Wage (hourly / yearly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet Metal Workers* | 100 | High school or equiv. | $21 / $44,700 |
| Carpenters* | 1,350 | High school + training | $20 / $41,800 |
| CNC Machine Operators* | 460 | High school + training | $27 / $55,200 |
| Industrial Mechanics* | 350 | High school + training | $24 / $50,100 |
| Diesel Engine Mechanics* | 200 | High school + training | $21 / $42,700 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers* | 170 | High school + training | $34 / $69,700 |
| Water Treatment Plant Operators* | 100 | High school + training | $22 / $45,800 |
| Electricians* | 400 | Registered apprenticeship | $22 / $45,400 |
| Plumbers and Pipefitters* | 280 | Registered apprenticeship | $23 / $48,800 |
| HVAC Mechanics and Installers* | 130 | Certificate Program | $23 / $47,500 |
| Civil Engineers | 250 | Bachelor’s degree | $34 / $70,700 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 190 | Bachelor’s degree | $36 / $74,800 |
| Electrical Engineers | 140 | Bachelor’s degree | $41 / $85,000 |
Find training programs that will put you on the path to each of these jobs.
| Career | 10-Year Projected Openings | Minimum Education Needed for Entry | Median Wage (hourly / yearly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Practical Nurses* | 490 | Certificate Program | $22 / $45,500 |
| Massage Therapists* | 320 | Certificate Program | $26 / $54,700 |
| Computer Support Specialists* | 330 | Postsecondary training | $24 / $49,300 |
| Registered Nurses | 2,290 | Associate’s Degree | $30 / $62,800 |
| Dental Hygienists | 130 | Associate’s Degree | $32 / $66,300 |
| Computer Systems Experts - 2 Types* | 440 | Bachelor’s degree | $35 / $72,400 |
| Environmental & Health Scientists | 170 | Bachelor’s degree | $28 / $57,200 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 210 | Master’s degree | $45 / $93,600 |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | 140 | Master’s degree | $32 / $66,700 |
| Physician Assistants | 130 | Master’s degree | $50 / $104,800 |
| Clinical and School Psychologists | 410 | Doctoral degree | $26 / $54,900 |
| Physical Therapists | 360 | Doctoral degree | $36 / $74,400 |
| Physicians - General Practitioners | 140 | Doctoral degree | $72 / $150,200 |
| Pharmacists | 120 | Doctoral degree | $63 / $130,900 |
Find training programs that will put you on the path to each of these jobs.
| Career | 10-Year Projected Openings | Minimum Education Needed for Entry | Median Wage (hourly / yearly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Secretaries* | 250 | High school or equiv. | $23 / $47,700 |
| Patrol Officers | 530 | High school + training | $22 / $46,000 |
| Planning Clerks* | 180 | High school + training | $20 / $42,100 |
| Claims Adjusters* | 100 | High school + training | $32 / $66,400 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants* | 180 | Associate’s Degree | $24 / $49,000 |
| Accountants and Auditors* | 1,160 | Bachelor’s degree | $31 / $65,000 |
| Compliance Officers | 560 | Bachelor’s degree | $30 / $62,900 |
| Market Research Analysts | 540 | Bachelor’s degree | $24 / $49,400 |
| Management Analysts | 300 | Bachelor’s degree | $38 / $78,500 |
| Personal Finance Advisors | 200 | Bachelor’s degree | $26 / $55,000 |
| Cost Estimators | 160 | Bachelor’s degree | $30 / $62,700 |
| Editors | 140 | Bachelor’s degree | $22 / $45,800 |
| Loan Officers | 100 | Bachelor’s degree | $29 / $60,400 |
| Lawyers | 340 | Doctoral degree | $44 / $91,600 |
Find training programs that will put you on the path to each of these jobs.
| Career | 10-Year Projected Openings | Minimum Education Needed for Entry | Median Wage (hourly / yearly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Representatives - 3 Types | 1,090 | High school + training | $28 / $58,500 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | 450 | High school + training | $22 / $46,700 |
| Advertising Sales Agents | 120 | High school + training | $21 / $43,200 |
| Web Developers* | 260 | Associate’s Degree | $29 / $60,100 |
| Teachers - 7 Types* | 2,280 | Bachelor’s Degree | na / $54,600 |
| Software Developers - 2 Types* | 480 | Bachelor’s degree | $41 / $85,600 |
| Purchasing Agents & Buyers* | 350 | Bachelor’s degree | $24 / $49,100 |
| Human Resources Specialists | 260 | Bachelor’s degree | $27 / $55,900 |
| Public Relations Specialists | 160 | Bachelor’s degree | $24 / $49,900 |
| Writers and Authors | 150 | Bachelor’s degree | $24 / $50,800 |
| Financial Services Sales Agents | 110 | Bachelor’s degree | $32 / $66,600 |
| School & Vocational Counselors | 220 | Master’s degree | $25 / $51,800 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | 150 | Master’s degree | $22 / $46,100 |
Find training programs that will put you on the path to each of these jobs.
The McClure Foundation is a supporting organization of the Vermont Community Foundation. The Vermont Community Foundation is a family of hundreds of funds and foundations established by Vermonters to serve their charitable goals. It provides the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise to make giving easy and effective. The Foundation also provides leadership in giving by responding to community needs, mobilizing and connecting philanthropists to multiply their impact, and by keeping Vermont’s nonprofit sector vital with grants and other investments in the community.
Source: www.vermontcf.org For more information or to request copies of the brochure, visit www.mcclurevt.org/pathways or contact Carolyn Weir at cweir@vermontcf.org, 802-388-3355 ext. 239, or through Twitter @McClureVTFdn.